A finely gloved hand set down the chains on the wooden table before his friend with a clanging thud. "You understand, surely, my old friend?" Said the tall, lanky gentleman hiding his hideousness behind a fine suit and a pair of goggles. Across the table, the other man stared at the ground, not turning a hair to face him. "Ross?" the gentleman's silky voice flowed.

"Do not call me that!" the shirtless man barked. "You are not allowed to use my name, Smiff!"

Smiff chuckled and unbuttoned his coat as he sat down in a fine, red arm chair. "Very well, then you are not to use mine. Is that understood?" Ross was quiet. "Is that understood, Ross?"

Ross spat at him through his black, scraggly beard. Smiff removed his goggles and wiped the spit from the purple lens before standing up and approaching Ross. "Be careful, wolf, or would we like to end up like the Walrus?" Smiff threatened, gesturing behind him to a stuff Walrus carcass standing next to the arm chair. Ross glanced at the trophy and stifled a shiver. "Put them on, wolf."

Conceding, Ross approached the table and begin to shackle himself. First his ankles, then his wrists, and finally his neck. He struggled to reach to snap the neck cuff into place. Smiff watched, bemused, as Ross struggled and became more and more angry. He waited for Ross to start turning red and yanking violently at the chains, working up a sweat, before sauntering over and gliding his fingers around his neck. "Here, allow me, wolf." The words slithered out of his mouth as the cuff clicked into place. "I would be more careful in the future, wolf." Smiff started, sliding back to his chair. "I would not like to return you as broken merchandise."

"Mr. Lovasz," Ross growled, "is a slime of a man."

Smiff gave a hearty chuckle. "Who? Good ol' Sips? And you say that as if it is a bad thing, old friend!"

"I am not your friend." Ross mumbled.

"Of course you are! You all are my old friends!" Smiff stated as he began to pour himself a glass of strange, glowing, purple liquid. "You, Sips, Trotty (though, he has become significantly more silent since his, eheh, transformation). Why, even good old Lomadia in the North is my friend! She brought me this." He stood and brought the glass over to Ross and waved it slowly under his nose. "Smell that?" Ross nodded slightly. "Flux wine. Quite delicious." He whispered softly, licking Ross's ear teasingly to make his point. Smiff pirouetted back before Ross could react and pranced back to his chair. "Very interesting, this stuff" Smiff started before taking a sip from it and smacking his lips. "Almost makes you feel like a new man." He sat and contemplated the wine for a second. "Though, I believe you of all people would know that feeling the most." Smiff stood and began pouring three more glasses.

Ross glanced at the wine and licked his lips, well aware that Smiff was watching. Instinctively, he took a step towards the table, his jingling chains giving him away. "Ah ah ah," Smiff taunted. "None of these are for you." He corked the bottle and set it back in the wine cabinet nearby. "Nilesy and Kim are stopping by later today." Smiff informed his new pet. "As well as Lalna, though he seems to suddenly prefer Lalnable. Strange one, that Duncan." Smiff shook his head to himself and closed the glass case, his neon green eyes glancing back at him. "I trust you will treat them with the utmost respect." Smiff turned and waited for an answer. "Ross?"

At that Ross jumped towards him, his lunge being violently halted by the wall the chain was attached to, and he fell to the ground. Smiff laughed hysterically at the wolf, who was squirming and barking on the floor like a rabid dog, too consumed by his hatred to feel embarrassment.